As Italy struggles to deal with burgeoning¹ populations of an introduced giant rodent², a mayor has come up with a novel solution -- eat them.

意大利政府正疲于应对从国外引进的一种巨型啮齿动物泛滥成灾的状况，而此时一名市长提出了一个新颖的解决方案--吃掉它们。

Coypu were introduced to Italy a century ago from their native South America to be farmed for their fur.

大约一个世纪前，意大利从南美洲引进河狸鼠用于养殖，以获取其皮毛。

But many escaped or were deliberately³ released after wearing fur fell out of fashion and the species is now thriving.

但随着河狸鼠皮毛的衣饰不再流行，很多河狸鼠逃脱或被故意放生，现已泛滥成灾。

They have fared particularly well in the flatlands of the Po valley in northern Italy, where farmers complain that they devour⁴ crops and destroy levees and embankments by digging burrows⁵.

它们在意大利北部波河流域的平原上大肆繁殖，农民抱怨它们毁掉了庄稼，它们打的洞穴还破坏了防洪堤和路堤。

Michele Marchi, the mayor of the town of Gerre de' Caprioli, has suggested that numbers could be reduced if only Italians can develop a taste for coypu meat. He has tried it and says it tastes a bit like rabbit.

杰雷德卡普廖利市市长米凯莱·马尔基建议称，只有意大利人肯吃河狸鼠，才有可能控制它们的数量。他自己已尝过河狸鼠，称味道有点像兔肉。

His proposal, launched on his Facebook page, has caused a lively social media debate, with some people in favour of the idea and others revolted by the prospect⁶ of tucking it what looks like a cross-between a beaver⁷ and a large rat.

这条提议发布在其脸书主页后引发了社交媒体的热议，一些人表示赞成，而另一些人一想到要吃长得既像海狸又形似大老鼠的河狸鼠就感到厌恶。

"The debate about coypu has become bonkers, without coming to any resolution of the problem," the 31-year-old mayor wrote. "Here's my idea -- let's start eating them in restaurants and at village food festivals."

这位31岁的市长写道：“关于河狸鼠的讨论越来越离谱了，得不出任何可行的办法。我的想法是：让我们开始在餐馆和乡村美食节上食用它们。”

However unpalatable the idea, he insisted that he was not joking and said there were regions of Italy that were already warming to the idea of tucking into roast, broiled⁸ or braised coypu.

不论这个主意有多招人厌烦，这位市长坚称自己没开玩笑，他表示意大利一些地区的居民已经赞同烧烤或者炖煮河狸鼠来吃。

One enthusiastic⁹ backer of the idea wrote on social media: "Coypus are very clean animals and they are herbivores. I've tried them a few times. They should be cooked in a stew¹⁰ with onions or baked in the oven. I agree with the mayor -- it's better than rabbit."

一名热情的支持者在社交媒体上写道：“它们是干净的食草动物，我已经吃过几次，应该和洋葱一起炖，或者用烤箱烤。我同意市长所说的，比兔肉味道更好。”

Animal lovers were less enamoured of the idea. "Here's another genius who thinks he can resolve a problem by killing¹¹ defenseless animals. And they elected him mayor," wrote one critic.

动物爱好者们则对这个提议不那么感冒。一位批评者写道：“又有一位天才认为可以通过捕杀毫无防备的动物来解决问题。人们还选他当市长。”